Chen Quanzhou, 38, cooks a dish at his rental room in Beijing, on April 23, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

Chen came to earn a living in Beijing when he moved from Xiaogan city, in Central China's Hubei province, in 2007. Today, he rents a room in Chaoyang district, Beijing, and runs a one-floor hotel. Chen is also married, but is considered an "empty-nest" youth as his wife returned to their hometown in Hubei to look after their child.

"I am used to cooking dishes and having a sleep after having lunch, or walking in the park nearby when I don't sleep," he said.

"I think I will not feel lonely if I have a roommate to talk with, but, nowadays, I want to earn more money to buy a house in the county of my hometown. I want my children to study at a school in county, rather than at the village."